Moonbyul wakes up in a sweat. She blinks many times, trying to adjust her eyes with the surroundings despite the soft glow of a dim moonlight. She is lying on her stomach on the cold floor, still fully dressed. Her left hand reaches for her head and massages the temple since she is clouded by a severe dizziness. The effect of alcohol rushing in her vein makes her faded. After couples of minutes, she finally manages to sit with supports from her trembling hands and leans her back on the bedside. She stares blankly at the ceiling for God knows how long as she still could neither comprehend nor remember what have happened to her.

It’s a quarter after four. I must have drunk as again, she mumbles to herself.

The calmness outside creeps into her apartment. It is so quite that all she could hear is her own heavy breathing and the tickling clock. She sweeps her eyes through her bedroom. Calling it a mess would be an understatement. Empty cans of beer are spotted everywhere, a cabinet is turned down, bed sheets and pillows are no longer in its place, a broken mirror with glasses shatters all over the floor on the corner, and a frame on her bedside table is flipped.

A frame of us.

She stops and closes her eyes. Tears swells up in her eyes before she even realizes it. She reaches for the frame and looks at it with a thrall of a deep sorrow. She hugs the frame and sobs mutely.

//

Flashback: three days ago.

“We’re done,” Yongsun told Moonbyul out of the blue. The blonde girl was walking Moonbyul to her apartment.

“What are you saying, Yongsun-ah?” The silver-haired girl could not believe her ears. She looked at Yongsun, wondering if this was some kind of erse joke.

“You hear me right. We’re done,” Yongsun repeated straightaway. “Let’s break up,” she paused, “and this is not a joke.”

“B-but…,” Moonbyul stammered, now looking bewildered.

“No buts.” Yongsun interrupted. She was looking anywhere, but Moonbyul’s eyes.

They were just having a date earlier, being lovey-dovey and all, but now Yongsun’s attitude changed 180 degrees. She wanted a breakup so abruptly. A silence fell across them as they were standing stiffly under the lamp post. No one dared to break the ice.

As Moonbyul lost her patience, she grabbed the other girl by the shoulders. She wished to find some truths by looking straight into Yongsun’s eyes, but all she could see was a pair of cold eyes. She was mad and ready to explode in no time. In fact, she prayed to get out of this situation and pretended that it was just a nightmare.

“Kim Yongsun, look at me! Why?” Moonbyul demanded an explanation. She raised her voice despite her quivering lips. Yongsun did not move an inch. Instead, she raised her hand, checking her wristwatch.

00:22 AM.

“This breakup is a special gift from me to you. Happy birthday, Byul-ah,” Yongsun said the sentence lightly as if it was no big deal. She cupped Moonbyul’s face, wiping away tears that started to roll down Moonbyul’s cheeks, then she continued, “How does it feel to be blinded by your love towards me? Thanks to you, I have so much fun toying with your feelings for the past ten months. You’re getting boring, so I’m done.”

A smirk was plastered all over Yongsun’s face. There was no sign of guilty for hurting Moonbyul.

“F-fun? Wh- What nonsense are you talking about? You always say that you-?” Moonbyul was whispering in between her sobs. She felt herself sway.

“I never like you in the first place. It was all a lie.” Yongsun cut her off and blurted harshly.

“What am I to you?”

“A worthless fool.” Ouch. Moonbyul’s mouth was agape in disbelief and despair upon hearing Yongsun’s comment.

In a split second, Yongsun pushed Moonbyul away rather harshly. She turned her back on Moonbyul, then continued running without even bothering to take the last glance at the younger girl. Moonbyul tried to chase Yongsun, but to no avail as the older girl was already inside a cab.

“Yong, wait…,” she whispered to the wind as she was gasping.

Standing all alone, Moonbyul was immersed in her own thought. As their conversation settled in her mind, she felt like a rug had just been yanked out from under her. She felt the stark of reality closing in around her. To Moonbyul, Yongsun was her everything, the love of her life. She always believed Yongsun loved her as much as she did, or so she thought. Here she was, having her heart crushed after getting dumped by the person she cherished the most.

I am a worthless fool. Moonbyul kept repeating those words in her head. She suddenly lost her strength and fell on her knees. Her sight went blurred and the last thing she remembered it was beginning to drizzle.

End of flashback.

//

Ever since Yongsun left, Moonbyul has been a ing mess. All she does is wandering around in a haze. She could not sleep for days. Her eyes are swollen and big bags are hanging under them. She barely eats. Beer is the only thing filling her empty stomach. She skips classes because she is not ready to face Yongsun, her ex-lover, who is also her classmate in college. She lies to her professor telling him that she is having family matters to take care of so she should take days off.

As Moonbyul’s tears getting dried, she lifts her head and walks slowly to the kitchen. She takes out the last can of beer from the refrigerator. She sits in the counter, takes a sip of her beer, while her fingers caressing the frame. It contains a picture of her and Yongsun: they were having a picnic on a bright summer day at the banks of Han River; Yongsun was smiling adorably as she outshined the sun while Moonbyul was leaning comfortably on her shoulder. It is a good, old day.

Moonbyul heaves a deep sigh. She runs her fingers through her disheveled hair and groans in frustration. She is struggling to erase Yongsun with the help of alcohol, but she is wrong. She could taste Yongsun in every shot that she takes down. It is like a curse. The more alcohol running in her body, the clearer her memories of Yongsun haunting her: Yongsun’s vanilla scent, Yongsun’s pout whenever she did not get enough attention from her, Yongsun’s smile with little dimple, how Yongsun would hit her playfully after she threw her greasy lines, how Yongsun intertwined their hands when they watched horror movies, how Yongsun’s soft lips met hers…

Yongsun has been playing with her while she is being sincere. The feeling of betrayal suffocated her. It was too painful for her to contain. She could not breath properly. Until a sudden realization hit her like a thunderstorm.

Ah, it’s right… Karma has found its way to me. I should have not loved you in the first place, Yongsun.

Moonbyul suddenly feels all alone.